Chapter 18: 018 Settlement Call

"Hello, is there something you need?"

"We intend for you to bring food to our settlement. As a reward, we will give you a management position."

The hoarse voice and impatient tone made Zhang Bei frown.

He brings food into the settlement, and that is supposedly a reward for him?

"No need, I don't intend to join a settlement."

As the words fell, Zhang Bei hung up the call directly.

It was clear that the person talking to him was definitely not the person in charge of the base.

Anyone with the brains to establish a settlement would not fail to realize the importance of food.

Meanwhile, inside the Qingshan Settlement, a young man touched the scar on his neck, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Damn it, who does he think he is?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a middle-aged man pushed open the wooden door and walked in: "How did the matter go?"

The young man shook his head: "He didn't agree."

After thinking for a moment, the young man looked at the map laid out on the table.

"Should I take people tomorrow? Anyway, we've found where he lives."

The middle-aged man shook his head: "Not for now. Our food can still last for a while."

The second call request was from the Xinyue Base.

As long as Zhang Bei was willing to trade food, they would allow Zhang Bei the right to establish his own hunting squad.

They even promised priority supply of Crystal Cores.

However, Zhang Bei politely declined; after all, the essence of any base was layer upon layer of exploitation.

Sitting in his chair, Zhang Bei rubbed his chin.

Both consecutive calls mentioned the issue of food.

This meant that the North was now facing a food shortage problem.

Moreover, the food consumed by an entire base every day was a terrifying number.

Even more seriously, with all the animals migrating toward the south.

The food shortage in the entire North would become even more severe.

If these few bases couldn't find a solution within a week,

I'm afraid the destruction of the bases wouldn't be far off.

He sighed, turned off the small screen in front of him, turned on his side, and fell asleep.

The next few days were calm.

Zhang Bei drove the car, following the footsteps of the animals all the way,

and finally left the ice and snow area on the fifteenth day of survival in the Ice Age.

Appearing before Zhang Bei was a massive forest.

All the animals scattered here, searching for new homes.

Zhang Bei parked the vehicle outside the forest and reached into the car to take out an axe.

"You go find some vines this afternoon. Let's build the shelter today first."

Su Xiao Xiao looked at the green forest in front of her and nodded hurriedly.

She had basically been stuck in the car every day for the past few days; she could finally stretch her muscles!

Zhang Bei shook his arms, and the Level 2 axe in his hand chopped heavily into a tree.

A cracking sound came, and a tree a full meter thick instantly developed a massive notch.

Looking at the massive notch in front of him, Zhang Bei pulled out the axe and reached out to swipe a few times on his wristwatch.

Instantly, the data regarding the axe was displayed.

【Lingguang Battle Axe, LV2

Weight: 3.0 kg

Characteristic: Deals massive damage to plants

Current Durability: 98%】

After reading the data, Zhang Bei then began swinging the axe again.

Although it was only a Level 2 battle axe, because of its characteristic.

It was extremely easy to chop trees.

One could even say it was completely effortless.

In the span of an afternoon, a pile of wood half a person high had already accumulated beside Zhang Bei.

He looked up at the sky; the sun was already approaching the west.

Looking at the river water not far away, Zhang Bei determined his living location.

He reached out and inserted the first main trunk into the soil.

Su Xiao Xiao brought the vines to help Zhang Bei secure it.

Time gradually reached late at night; Zhang Bei fixed the finished wooden door onto the house.

A simple, makeshift cabin was completed.

Su Xiao Xiao walked in impatiently, and seeing the two beds placed inside, she immediately smiled.

Although this guy was a total "steel-straight" man, he was still very attentive.

Before Su Xiao Xiao could even feel the new bed, Zhang Bei's voice came to her ears.

"Get out quickly, move the things in first!"

Su Xiao Xiao looked at her hands, which had already developed blisters, and sighed.

"Coming!"

Zhang Bei hung the last weapon on the wall and turned to look at Su Xiao Xiao, who was slumped on the ground.

"We'll live here from now on. Tomorrow, we'll start exploring the woods."

Su Xiao Xiao nodded, watching Zhang Bei get the campfire going.

Just as she was preparing to stand up to help, the stinging pain in her hands made her let out a soft groan.

Zhang Bei hurriedly put down the dry firewood in his hand and grabbed Su Xiao Xiao's hand.

He frowned as he looked at the blisters on it.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Su Xiao Xiao sniffled: "I'm not some young lady; it's just a few blisters."

Zhang Bei reached out and took out the remaining alcohol from the Trading Center.

"Endure it."

As soon as the words fell, the dagger easily popped the blisters.

Before Su Xiao Xiao could react, the alcohol was immediately sprinkled on them.

A burning, stinging sensation instantly came from her palm.

After the brief pain, Zhang Bei let go of Su Xiao Xiao's hand.

"That's it. It should be fine by tomorrow."

Su Xiao Xiao nodded; she was a medical student herself, after all, it was just blisters.

Tonight's dinner was exceptionally sumptuous.

Braised black fish, stir-fried tiger meat, and a pot of turtle soup that had been stewed for a full two hours.

Hong Hui: 【Can you believe it? I don't even eat this well when I go out to restaurants!】

Li Qinqin: 【This soup is so white; it must be delicious!】

Qiu Xingwen: 【And this black fish, the meat is so tender after being braised!】

Mealtime was also when Zhang Bei would banter with the live broadcast room.

Seeing the wailing in the bullet comments, Zhang Bei smiled: "Actually, the taste isn't as good as you imagine."

As he spoke, Zhang Bei took a light bite of the Three-Legged Turtle meat.

The milky-white meat was instantly displayed to the entire live broadcast room.

Li Qinqin: 【Holy crap, look at that collagen!】

Qiu Xingwen: 【So infuriating, it's bad enough we can't eat it, but we have to watch him eat it!】

Wu Yingcai: 【The most infuriating part is that he even says it doesn't taste good!】

Dinner lasted for a full hour, and he poured the final food scraps into the river.

Zhang Bei burped and sat on the bank looking at the map.

Su Xiao Xiao carried the tableware back to the room and looked at the clear river water under the moonlight: "I want to take a bath."

Zhang Bei was stunned and turned to look at Su Xiao Xiao: "Now?"

Su Xiao Xiao blushed: "Yeah!"

Zhang Bei frowned as he looked at the river water.

"No, I have no idea if there are dangers in the river right now."

Hearing Zhang Bei's flat refusal, Su Xiao Xiao made a bitter face: "But I'm already smelly!"

"That's still a no!"

However, looking at Su Xiao Xiao's miserable expression, Zhang Bei still sighed.

"Tomorrow, then. I'll think of a way tomorrow."

Su Xiao Xiao nodded hurriedly; she had been smelly for so many days.

Since Zhang Bei promised to solve it, there was hope for a bath! ===== CHAPTER 19 =====